On Oct. 16, President Trump shared a photo of Speaker Pelosi standing up and pointing at him during a cabinet meeting earlier this week regarding his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. He described Pelosi as having an "unhinged meltdown," but she made the photo her Twitter cover photo. Trump's language surrounding Pelosi raised questions about the double-standards women face when acting with anger. (Photo via Twitter)

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s response to President Donald Trump calling her “unhinged” in a tweet had her trending on Twitter on Thursday. Trump shared a photo of Pelosi standing up, sternly pointing at and speaking to him in the Cabinet Room, where she was surrounded by men. Trump shared the photo on Twitter with the caption, “Nervous Nancy’s unhinged meltdown!” Pelosi responded by making the image her Twitter cover photo.

Trump followed up his tweet Wednesday with another that said, “The Do Nothing Democrats, Pelosi and Schumer stormed out of the Cabinet Room!”

However, Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer had a different take on what occurred during the meeting, which included conversations about Trump’s controversial decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

Outside of the meeting, Pelosi told reporters Trump was “shaken up” by Republican criticisms of his decision, saying they come “at a difficult time for him.”

The House voted by a large majority to pass a resolution in opposition to Trump’s move.

“He was insulting, particularly to the Speaker,” Schumer told reporters. “She kept her cool completely, but he called her a third-rate politician. This was not a dialogue, it was sort of a diatribe. A nasty diatribe, not focused on the facts.”

Schumer said that during the meeting, Trump called Pelosi a “third-rate politician,” but Pelosi later corrected him, saying Trump called her a “third-grade politician.” Schumer’s account suggests Trump was the one who acted harshly.

After Pelosi changed her cover photo, Twitter users took to the platform, largely praising her and questioning Trump for sharing the image.

One Twitter user pointed out the body language of the men in the room as Pelosi spoke.

Women face a double-standard in all areas regarding how others perceive them — and dismiss them — when they show emotion. The language people use to describe women’s anger is much different than that used to describe men’s. One Twitter user shared photos of Chief Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Senator Lindsey Graham and Trump speaking angrily, but pointed out how none of them were described as having a “meltdown.”

This double-standard is not just prominent in politics and is arguably more pronounced when the woman who comes “unhinged” is not white. The public saw it occur in sports in the 2018 U.S. Open when Serena Williams got into an argument with the umpire. Outlets like USA Today also described her behavior as a “meltdown.” Meanwhile, tennis player John McEnroe was famous — and somewhat beloved — for his violent outbursts on the court. He even published a book called “You Cannot Be Serious,” a quote from his most famous meltdown during the 1981 Wimbledon men’s final.

Trump’s language regarding the photo of Pelosi hearkens back to age-old sexist rhetoric that claims women are too emotional to be leaders — the same rhetoric that anti-suffragists used to justify believing women should not vote.

The image also is a look into who is making some of the most important decisions for our country: mainly older white men.

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